

Cardiff 029 2166 0860

Why you should repair your iPhone?

Your iPhones next journey

Once your iPhone enters into our system it starts a new journey, to a new life. Most handsets have an economic value, be it within developing countries, for parts to restore someone else's phone, or broken down for the valuable metals. That's not the end either though, we always try to find a home, because we believe even old phones are of value to someone. We categorise every phone into one of 3 processes.


Our highest priority is to reuse. This is the most eco-friendly way of recycling. We believe this is the way forward, ensuring that mobile phones find a new home. We reuse almost all handsets to somewhere in the U.K, sometimes often in developing economies in countries like Africa, Asia and China where access to mobile communication makes a real difference to their lives. No waste is created or generated when reusing.


At iPhonefixed we try to refurbish your old and unwanted iPhone so we can find new homes for them. By refurbishing the iPhones we ensure as fewer phones are broken down for parts or recycled. Leading experts say 15 million old mobiles are upgraded every year in the UK alone, most of which are in perfect working order. They just need a new lease of life. Only the plastic outer casings are replaced which amounts to less than 7% of some phones.


It is unfortunate that in rare instances we are unable to refurbish some phones. In this case we recycle the phones in the most eco-friendly way; plastic casings are shredded, valuable metals are reclaimed from the boards and valuable components are reused to restore other handsets. If disposed of incorrectly, mobile phones can end up at landfill and harm our eco-systems, which is bad news for the environment. In fact, one mobile phone battery contains enough cadmium to pollute up to 600,000 litres of water!

What happens next to my iPhone?

There is a vast amount of refurbished handsets in the marketplace. If you've ever needed to have a replacement sent from the manufacturer, chances are it's been someone else's phone and refurbished. Our refurbished handsets are sold here in the U.K or to developing countries around the world. These mobile phones offer a valuable lifeline to the communities, allowing greater communication, and enhancing their quality of life.

What happens to mobile phones that are not recycled? - The environmental impact

Upward of one hundred million cell phones are replaced each year. Some of those end up in landfills because their owners aren't aware that electronics contain metals and other materials that can be hazardous to the environment if not disposed of properly.

Cell phone circuitry and displays can contain toxic compounds like arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, and lead. The plastic shells of the cell phones have also been treated with brominated flame retardants.

In addition to the toxic compounds, there are also nontoxic materials contained in electronics. These include valuable resources such as precious metals, engineered plastics, glass, and other materials -- all of which require energy to manufacture. The energy required to produce these materials from scratch generate additional pollution, when existing materials end up in a landfill.

Because manufacturers use many different types of plastic in electronic equipment, it is the most challenging to recycle. These plastics often include contaminants such as metal screws and inserts, coatings and paints, foams, and labels. Currently, plastics from electronic equipment are both difficult and costly to sort. Also, plastics can be treated with brominated flame retardants, making them harder to recycle and possibly dangerous to those exposed to them.

Environmental Threats

Cadmium is persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. It is found in chip resistors, infrared detectors, and semiconductors.

Lead can accumulate in the environment and have a detrimental effect on plants, animals, and humans. In humans, it causes damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, blood systems, and kidneys. Lead is contained in glass panels in computer monitors and in lead soldering of printed circuit boards. Consumer electronics may be responsible for 40% of this metal found in landfills.

Mercury is found on printed circuit boards, discharge lamps, and batteries. It is also used in data transmission equipment, telecommunications, and mobile phones. When mercury make sits way into waterways, it is transformed into methylated mercury in the sediments and eventually ends up in food where it can cause brain damage.

Brominated Flame Retardants are used on printed circuit boards, components such as plastic covers and cables. Flame retardant Polybrominated Biphenyls may increase cancer risk to the of the digestive and lymph systems. Once released into the environment through landfill leachate and incineration, they are concentrated in the food chain.